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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mark — a trace
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — the season
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com